It's shaping up to be a long season for Hamburg SV. Many wondered how the club would get on without the experience of Ruud van Nistelrooy and the creativity of Eljerio Elia, but the answer is now a little clearer. The answer appears to be 'not very well.' HSV fell 2-0 to rivals Werder Bremen in a Northern Derby on Saturday, with Claudio Pizarro firing Bremen to victory with a brace.
The match was a very physical one and the referee responded accordingly, handing out eight cards. That's par for the course for this fixture, but what was a bit out of the ordinary was the lack of attacking flair and the respectable defenses. This match is usually a wide open one, and with Per Mertesacker gone to Arsenal, one might have expected even a depleted HSV side to nick a goal or two.
After a first half that ended 0-0, Werder came alive after halftime with Claudio Pizarro scoring in the 52nd minute, assisted by Aaron Hunt. Werder continued to be the more ambitious side throughout the period and eventually sealed the deal in the 78th minute with another Pizarro goal, grabbing a much deserved win.
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